Film Production HE Certificate - 1 year

Learn by doing. And doing. And doing. This isn’t your grandpa’s film school; from day zero your boots hit the ground, the camera’s in your hands, and you’re writing, shooting, cutting, and discussing your work - then doing it all over again. About 20 times to be exact.

WRITE / SHOOT / EDIT / REPEAT

You want to be a filmmaker? Then make films. And that’s exactly what you do for a year in our Film Production Certificate course, day after day, week after week, month after month. By the end you’ll come out with up to 20 films under your belt. Or more. That depends - how ambitious are you?

Our 1-year course is an intensive, nonstop onslaught of challenges, inspiring project briefs, creative problems, new gear, new skills, new faces, new languages...good thing you’re not alone. If you successfully complete all modules you will have 60 credits, the equivalent of the first year of a degree course. If you wish to study with us further, no problem - you can continue straight into the 2nd year of the degree.

Key Facts

Term time: September 17, 2018 - May 25, 2019

Course fees: from €875/month

Deadline: Round 2 before June 30 2018

At dBs Berlin, you don’t just learn how to make a film. You learn how to make a film together.

Equipment doesn’t make a movie... [it’s] all just tools to create what’s up in here. You have the image in your head and you use the camera to paint your picture.

— Michael

LEARN BY DOING

You won’t find any “traditional” classrooms, homework, lectures or tests here. Instead, from day one, you’ll be put in a group with other motivated creatives just like you and tasked with making a film under challenging creative, technical and logistical constraints. Tell us a story, and tell it your way. It’s harder than it sounds.

But don’t worry - we’re here for you. During the week you’ll be supported by our staff of industry professional tutors running hands-on workshops on everything from cinematography to storytelling to picture editing and much more. You’ll also present, watch and critique your work and the work of others in our unique roundtable discussions.

FOCUS ON STORY

Filmmaking is storytelling. We humans are natural storytellers, but often when we construct one from thin air, it rings hollow. In our Film Production Certificate you’ll train in the bedrock foundations of spinning a good yarn: dramatising the truth, showing not telling, engaging the audience emotionally and pitching your story to others. These skills are critical whether you’re making a hard-hitting documentary, a space western horror or a soap commercial.

...BUT ALSO ON TECHNOLOGY

The principles of storytelling might never change, but technology does, and we keep up with it. You’ll learn your way around all the technical tools for cinematographers, producers, editors, sound designers, writers - and we leave you room to explore and create the roles of tomorrow’s industry. Why dwell on the past? The present is changing, and the future is limitless.

PUBLIC FACING

A storyteller without an audience is shouting in the dark, and a social media following is an entry-level requirement in the modern media profession. From your first steps you’ll be a published, public filmmaker with a growing, evolving body of work. Learn to authentically hone your voice to find your audience, study it when you have it, then cultivate it to suit your needs.

We dash the “film school bubble” so you won’t stumble when you leave our doors - you’ll stand tall.

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS

Do any of these statements sound familiar?

“I’ve never touched a camera before in my life and it scares me! But I know I love film and I want to figure out if it’s for me.”

“I want to get out of my comfort zone and meet and work with people from all over the world.”

“I don’t want to attend a program that dangles shiny toys in my face. I want to learn from people who understand what’s actually important to succeed as a visual storyteller.”

“I’m itching to make movies. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“I want to study film, but I don’t want to do film studies.”

“I know the best way to learn is to just go out and do it - but I don’t want to do it all by myself. Aren’t there others out there like me?”

“I already know my way around a camera and editing. I want to build a portfolio of work I can be proud to present to the industry.”

If so, then you’ve found your new home. Dive in with us - the water’s fine!

We are very happy to have been given the opportunity this year to completely reimagine and design all of our courses. This allows us to build on our extensive experience, take into account new developments and incorporate new thinking into all of our course design. It also means that the precise detail may go through some change during the validation process with our partner university consequently all courses are subject to validation. We’ve been validating courses for 15 years with university partners and our courses have always been successfully validated. We will be adding new information as and when it occurs during this exciting process.

WHY STOP WITH 1 YEAR?

If you love the idea of coming to Berlin, putting your nose to the grindstone and making films for a year, then this is the course for you. You’ll walk away with your name on nearly 20 short films (not counting extracurricular or personal projects you might also have embarked on), experience in every aspect of making a film and a deeper understanding of your interests and skills, and a network of talented, international creatives just like you to call on for your next project.

But what if you want to dive deeper? Don’t worry. It doesn’t have to end here. We offer seamless progression onto the next year of the course.

Take an additional year and earn a...

Film Production Diploma

Refine. After the first whirlwind year you will have explored all the major filmmaking roles - in the second year, slow down and dive deeper. Collaborate on bigger, more challenging projects. Build up your unique skill set from a granular level. Tell stories that contribute to the cultural conversation.

Take an additional two years and earn a...

Film Production Bachelor (HONS) Degree

Launch. Spend the first year making 20+ films, the second refining your technical skills and story prowess, and in the third year - playtime's over. Rally your network of fellow filmmakers, screen actors, and FX wizards to create the film that puts your stamp on the world. Leverage your audience to get a foothold in the industry, or blaze your own trail with confidence.